Up for Debate: NSA leaker to be charged

Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 1:30am

Do you consider the NSA leak by Edward Snowden to be heroic or criminal? Are you more concerned that such classified leaks can occur or that government agencies have such great reach of power over your personal information?

67 Comments on this post:

By:HoundDog on 6/11/13 at 6:27

Snowden broke the law, but I would stop short of calling him a traitor like Boehner did. I think the real problem we're facing here is that asking the intelligence gatherers to abide by restrictions on what they can access is like asking them to be "just a little bit pregnant," if you will.

By:yogiman on 6/11/13 at 6:36

Our nation was founded [by the people, of the people, for the people]. It was founded for legislators to represent we the people, not for a legislature to domineer the people. And certainly not a ruling faction that would keep track of its citizens.

I consider this young man a hero for reporting on the government's surveillance of we the people who are paying them to serve us, not domineer us.

By:bfra on 6/11/13 at 6:41

yogi - I consider this young man a hero for reporting on the government's surveillance of we the people who are paying them to serve us, not domineer us.
=============================================================

Says 1 traitor about another traitor!

By:Captain Nemo on 6/11/13 at 6:48

I suppose it is how ones political views are how you look at Snowden. If you want to give blame to the Obama administration for any reason you will call him a hero. Or if you are like me, you will wait and see more details.

By:yogiman on 6/11/13 at 7:27

If I was one of your fellow communists, bfra, I would also consider the young man a traitor like you for letting the non-communists of a nation know what their "leaders" were doing to them.

I do, for once, agree with you, dumba$$. Time will tell.

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 7:36

The Real Scandal: Not That The NSA Broke The Law In Vast Spying, But That It Probably Didn't
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130608/10020823374/real-scandal-not-that-nsa-broke-law-vast-spying-that-it-probably-didnt.shtml

As much as one might be personally appalled by the notion of the NSA collecting everybody's call records, disgust doesn't make something unconstitutional. Rather, the real scandal here is what's legal -- namely, how the surveillance powers enabled by modern technology have been embraced and expanded by Congress and a succession of presidents, and how the Court has failed to develop a robust system for applying the Fourth Amendment meaningfully to the questions of the 21st century.
This is why many of us have been trying to call attention to things like warrantless wiretapping and the FISA Amendments Act and the privacy-destroying immunities of CISPA for years. Because those in power keeping screaming "terrorists!" to get Congress to pass these laws, and then everyone's shocked (shocked!) when the government goes and does what Congress and the courts have specifically allowed.

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 7:38

You know, it is refreshing to see yogi and bud support a liberal viewpoint. They're doing it blindly because it's just one more way to "blame Obama" but in the end they're still helping to support what the liberals want. I'll take it!

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 7:39

NSA Surveillance Furor Shows We’re Ready for War on Terror to Be Over
by Peter BeinartJun 10, 2013 4:45 AM EDT

Obama was right: Americans are sick of the war on terror. We aren’t terrified anymore, and we’re no longer willing to sacrifice our freedoms. That’s why a left-right alliance is denouncing Obama’s spy program.

Although a high school dropout, this Snowden fellow appears to be very bright in
his speech and apparently very good at IT. He took great risk in doing what he did
and in my opinion is both hero and villain His job duties went far beyond what his
job description and security clearance would suggest, but that is the employers
fault. A democratic congressman last night stated that it's amazing it took this
long for someone to reveal what Snowden has. Same interview gave the numbers
of people with top secret security clearances. 800,000+ federal employees and
slightly less than 500,000 contractor employees. Who knew?

From top Security Adviser Gen Clapper lying to congress about domestic
surveillance, to Mr. Snowden divulging secret information, and the IRS Agents
giving information in their files to groups opposing the administration, we have
a lot of bad deeds going on in Washington both at the present time and past.

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 7:41

After being crushed for close to a decade by 9/11, that left-right civil libertarian alliance is back. In both parties, it enjoys more grassroots support than it does in Washington, and that support will likely grow until the United States faces some new, frightening foreign threat. Indeed, it’s possible that for the remainder of Obama’s presidency, this left-right, post–war on terror coalition will cause the White House more trouble than will the GOP’s fading McCain-Graham wing. And that, as perhaps even Barack Obama recognizes, is a very good thing.

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 7:45

Speaking of the whole IRS thing.....

Self-described ‘conservative Republican’ began IRS targeting of tea party groups

And by the way, he should start school in kindergarten. He's too far behind to go to mid-school.

……doesn’t even know what the English is? The English live on an island call England. Maybe it is yogi that needs to go back to school.

By:Captain Nemo on 6/11/13 at 8:08

Blanket, that just goes to show that the extremist are so willing to let the country go to hell, just to get at Obama.

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 8:15

Well, that creates one more riff in the GOP. Those who support the way their representatives in Congress voted vs. the more libertarian minded who support Rand Paul.

By:Captain Nemo on 6/11/13 at 8:18

Thank for the link Blanket.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/10/self-described-conservative-republican-began-irs-targeting-of-tea-party-groups/

Some Conservatives Republicans with a backbone. How refreshing.

But will the fringe hear this or even remember it if they do?

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 8:21

No, they get so caught up in finding a scandal they forget to quit ranting about it once it is proven false.

By:BenDover on 6/11/13 at 8:21

"I've heard a number of media people throughout the course of the past day, the past 24 hours, refer to the possibility that we may have to tighten down some of our freedoms, that the age of innocence that is America is over and that we all now may have to join in some sort of sacrifice of our liberties and freedom in order to protect ourselves in the future. And I'm here to tell you right now that if anybody thinks that, I don't care if you're in the news media, I don't care if you're a member of the general population, you are missing the whole point of what being an American is. You do not understand it.

You're missing the whole point of the Constitution. You're missing the whole point of the reason for the founding of this country, the reason for this nation's existence. If you think that the proper response to 9/11 is to ratchet down freedom because of this, if you think that it's worth trading a little freedom in order for security, you must work hard to banish that thought. The exact opposite is what needs to take place here. The exact opposite is what needs to be our motivating attitude. The exact opposite is what's necessary. This nation must reaffirm its freedoms. This nation must rebuild itself, expand upon its freedoms. We cannot allow an event like this to cause us to shrink smaller within ourselves, to become fearful."

Rush Limbaugh, Sept 12, 2001

By:Captain Nemo on 6/11/13 at 8:27

Yes Ben we know what Rush says. But if we had been attacked, Rush would have call for Obama’s impeachment. The need to crack down on the loss security in the country.

By:BenDover on 6/11/13 at 8:50

My point was, to say that conservatives are for greater intrusions on liberty is an absolute misnomer. Conservatives are for smaller government in scope, cost and power.

The liberals (republican and democrat) are the statists who have never seen a problem that should not be solved with more and more government spending and authority.

The vulnerabilities exploited on 9/11 were solved while the planes were still in the air. As soon as we realized the whackos had changed the rules the citizens knew exactly what to do about it.

Fortified cockpits and a few other procedural changes have been the only effective changes we have made since 9/11 to thwart another airline attack. All the rest has been government opportunism to grow in size scope and power over its subjects.

By:Moonglow1 on 6/11/13 at 8:58

Moonglow1:
There is no evidence of the ability of these data to recognize patterns of terrorist activity.Started during the Bush years led by John Poindexter this program has yielded no results . So what is its purpose.

If the government believes in its mission to see all and know all then they will go after Snowdon.

So where was Congress all this time. Asleep as usual or hiking the Appalachean Trail perhaps.

Can you imagine Michelle Bachmann in charge of these data. So if you dont believe what she believes then what?

We have certifiable nut jobs running our government and now they know how you think. Is thst what we want?

By:Captain Nemo on 6/11/13 at 8:59

Fortified trash can and so on. Ben? Conservatives love bid government as long it is a war machine. It is to hell with health care and such.

By:Moonglow1 on 6/11/13 at 8:59

Moonglow1:
There is no evidence of the ability of these data to recognize patterns of terrorist activity.Started during the Bush years led by John Poindexter this program has yielded no results . So what is its purpose.

If the government believes in its mission to see all and know all then they will go after Snowdon.

So where was Congress all this time. Asleep as usual or hiking the Appalachean Trail perhaps.

Can you imagine Michelle Bachmann in charge of these data. So if you dont believe what she believes then what?

We have certifiable nut jobs running our government and now they know how you think. Is thst what we want?

By:Moonglow1 on 6/11/13 at 9:10

Moonglow1: Captain. Conservatives love to spend taxpayer money. They give it in cash to private contractors. And right here in TN our taxdollars go to support fraudster companies like HCA. I am sick of my tax dollars being given to private enterprise and banks who refuse to lend to small business.

What a crock. If a business can't survive on it's own then it is essentially a socialist country and conservatives are the first in line to get government handouts for themselves and their friends.

In Iraq we gave bags of cash to contractors and govt officials. Yeah let the good times roll with tax payer funds.

By:Moonglow1 on 6/11/13 at 9:16

Moonglow1: And now we have Haslam and Fying J. Oh yeah right, family company but our governor has no clue how it's run.

Crooks all around us. Can't seem to get away from them.

They are worse than Al Capone. Worse than the Mafia. I would rather have Tony Soprano running the state.

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 9:17

But, but, Moonglow......I thought it was the lazy poor that was taking all the money. That's what the conservatives say......

By:brrrrk on 6/11/13 at 9:18

Did it occur to anyone else yesterday that an online image that I found going by the name "Jughead" might just account for our own Jughead's obsession with a certain part of the male anatomy?

Could it be that 2 + 2 = Balls?

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 9:24

I wondered the same thing, brrrrk. I wonder if he ever found his "hook up" in March. Maybe it was some Mexican dude off Nolensville Road and that's how he has decided he knows a little something about Brown Pride and Spanish cussing.

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 9:25

btw, the "Jughead" guy on the link you posted yesterday is a sex offender.

By:brrrrk on 6/11/13 at 9:31

BenDover on 6/11/13 at 8:50

"My point was, to say that conservatives are for greater intrusions on liberty is an absolute misnomer. Conservatives are for smaller government in scope, cost and power."

"Well, first of all, you know, I don't think the rationale of the conservatism is small government. It's limited government, but that doesn't necessarily mean small. It means that there are areas that you cannot take government into. There are there are areas where the rights of the people are paramount." - Mickey Edwards (Edwards was a founding trustee of the Heritage Foundation and national chairman of the American Conservative Union)

http://billmoyers.com/guest/mickey-edwards/

By:pswindle on 6/11/13 at 10:10

He is a traitor and should be punished as such. If we have another 9/11, whom do we blame?

By:govskeptic on 6/11/13 at 10:47

We had a Boston that this program should have caught. Attempts are being made
to show an instance or two where it worked or helped, but that may or may not be
truly the factor that worked. In the mean time the Muslim Army Officer in Texas that killed a large number of his fellow soldiers still drawing his paycheck which has amounted to over $300,000. since the killings and still counting. What a system!
The writer for the Guardian states there's still lots more to come on Mr. Snowden's
Revelations to that newspaper.

By:BenDover on 6/11/13 at 11:17

"If we have another 9/11, whom do we blame?"

Well you can be fo-damn-sho Skippy, Obama will find someone.

By:budlight on 6/11/13 at 11:26

Gov, the good (sarcastic) doctor is still drawing over $300,000 a year? OMG. He is also defending himself and getting special treatment because his injuries cause paralysis. It's too bad that these people on this site support people like that doctor.

I'd love to be able to have a link to the Obama whitehouse to spy on him. Lord only knows what goes on behind those "closed doors". Why did he have to talk to head of IRS as many times as he did? And Bush only met with head of IRS one time.

Ben, you are right. Obama will find someone to blame. These CP posters will blame bush.

None of us know where or when the next big one will be, but you can bet that it "will be". I don't think that Snowden is a traitor anymore than I think Patrick Henry was a traitor. 'GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH".

Our country is only one of two countries founded on biblical principles.

By:bfra on 6/11/13 at 11:28

Fo-damn-sho Beenie, Obama won't sit there looking like a deer in the headlights, continue to read a kids book, then run out a invade a Country that had nothing to do with it. Sho nuf!

By:bfra on 6/11/13 at 11:53

I would still like to know who is paying this dude's bills while he jets all over the World?

By:budlight on 6/11/13 at 11:59

Really bfra? Really? Obama has done nothing about the fort hood murders. He is commander in chief and never spoke against the muslim doctor, but he stuck his nose into the Boston police/black professor event; and other things. But when it comes to real matters such as a muslim killing innocent americans, he's quiet.

Did you know that in 2009 he took the "reigns" of the census and brought them into the white house? Do you know WHY he did that? Think about it fella!

Also when the ambassador stevens was slaughtered in Behghazi, he didn't even get out of bed. What was he doing that was more important than being present in the Situation Room when a US ambassador was being slaughtered along with other US citizens. No he wasn't a deer in the headlight, he was probably . . . . well he was in bed sleeping or schlepping or something. But he was not paying attention to the ambassador's plight.

And he ran with the "muslim movie" idea. And how about Boston Marathon? He didn't even own up to those 2 men being terrorists for 2 week. Please. No he ain't a deer in the headlights. He's a fox in the hen house and you all are playing right into his game and his goals.

By:brrrrk on 6/11/13 at 12:01

budlight said

"I'd love to be able to have a link to the Obama whitehouse to spy on him. Lord only knows what goes on behind those "closed doors". Why did he have to talk to head of IRS as many times as he did? And Bush only met with head of IRS one time."

"Our country is only one of two countries founded on biblical principles."

Prove it.....

By:bfra on 6/11/13 at 12:03

If you ever get a brain that understands anything, you might start to make sense some day. Go find another Muslim guys legs to gawk at in the mall. You seem more adept at nonsense. Plus you are either posting on taxpayer's money or lying. Nobody gets as many breaks as you claim.

By:bfra on 6/11/13 at 12:06

brrrrk - You should read what she put on the board yesterday! LOCO!

By:brrrrk on 6/11/13 at 12:07

Bud,

Sucking on the government teat and bitching about the milk.....

By:bfra on 6/11/13 at 12:11

Good one brrrrk!

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 12:30

Yesterday she was complaining about Obama and executive orders. I bet she doesn't know how many he has signed or the relevance of the ones he did sign. Now for the bonus question: Who signed more, Obama or Bush?

By:yogiman on 6/11/13 at 12:43

Wrong again. B2.

I don't know budlight's thoughts, but I do know mine. And probably having lived through many more legislatures than you, I know they all consider their positions as a career; to hell with the people.

Do a little of your research and you'll see how congress has gained more control over [we the people] dating back decades.

That is my argument as to why they have supported a man in the Oval Office whom they don't even know because he refuses to identify himself in a manner of legality. Really, is he even an American citizen?

You should thank that young man and any other that "blows the horn" on the government's next step toward takeover.

By:Blanketnazi2 on 6/11/13 at 12:46

Wrong about what, yogi? The number of executive orders Obama has signed?

By:bfra on 6/11/13 at 12:53

Blanket - Can't pay any attention to bud or yogi, they just rattle about any & everything, with no thought or proof of anything. Really pathetic!

House Speaker John Boehner today called NSA leaker Edward Snowden a “traitor” who put Americans at risk by releasing classified information to the media.

“He’s a traitor,” the highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives said in an extensive interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “The disclosure of this information puts Americans at risk. It shows our adversaries what our capabilities are. And it’s a giant violation of the law.”

By:Captain Nemo on 6/11/13 at 2:56

It is getting close to time when Raspy and the Flea get computer time.

By:yogiman on 6/11/13 at 4:10

Do you recall the first EO Barry issued when he was sworn in, B2? To place all of his papers under 'lock and key'.

Do you know why he would never show any of his papers? Can you explain how he got his natural born status back after he was adopted into Indonesian citizenship? Do you even know if he's an American citizen? Didn't think so.